


Cause and Effect

by Elwyne



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: April Showers 2015, Gen, Pete's World
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 13:40:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3812590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elwyne/pseuds/Elwyne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternate Universe Sarah Jane seeks aid from Rose and the human Doctor. Adventure ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cause and Effect

The taxi pulls away, leaving Sarah Jane standing alone on the empty sidewalk. Her destination stands before her: a neat two-story building surrounded with typically English hedges and perennials. She eyes the stairway leading up to her quarry’s flat. Only weeks ago she’d have run right up without a thought; now, she steels herself for a difficult climb.

Rose sits at the kitchen table, staring at the heavy physics book before her until her eyes glaze over. Her phone beeps, signaling the arrival of a new text message. She massages her temples against an imminent headache. She knows it’s her mate Nicole, the genius, just trying to help; she glares at the phone with hostility.

Sarah Jane pauses on the landing outside, gasping for breath. What am I doing, she thinks to herself for the thousandth time. She stares at the silent door, indecision tearing her. I’m just a mad old woman, afraid of dying alone. There’s nothing these people can do for me. They don’t even know me; what on earth am I doing? She closes her eyes and concentrates on breathing.

Rose glances at the message with a sigh. Typically, it’s as dense and cryptic as any textbook, in spite of being only two lines. She slams her book shut and gets to her feet, pocketing the phone. Maybe a brisk walk in the fresh air will help. Striding through the front room she pulls open the door, almost bowling over the familiar figure standing uncertainly on the landing.

Sarah Jane makes up her mind and lifts her hand to knock. Abruptly the door flies open, and a youthful blonde nearly hurtles into her. Sarah Jane steps back, alarmed.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m...”

“Sarah Jane Smith!” the girl breathes in the same moment, her eyes going wide in astonishment.

Surprised, Sarah Jane quickly recovers herself. “You know me. Well I suppose it’s only fair. You must be Rose Tyler.”

A parade of expressions cross the younger woman’s face: surprise, confusion, embarrassment, even a dash of wry humor. “Er. Yes, sorry. I... uh. Come in, please.”

Rose steps aside to allow her guest to pass, shutting the door behind her. She stares, lost for words, as the woman before her smiles a hauntingly familiar smile.

“I hope you’ll forgive my interrupting. But I’m not sure that this business could be conducted properly over the phone.”

“What - er - business is that?”

Sarah Jane glances around the room. “Do you mind if I sit down?”

Her cheeks suddenly burning, Rose hurries to clear a pile of debris from the armchair. “Sorry about the mess. We don’t get a lot of visitors. Can I get you something? Tea? Coffee?”

Sarah Jane lowers herself into the chair; for the first time Rose notices how tired she looks. “Tea would be lovely, thank you.”

Rose ducks into the kitchen, her mind racing. Sarah Jane Smith! Here! Not the same Sarah Jane, obviously; it couldn’t be. That Sarah Jane, as far as Rose is aware, lives happily and hard at work in the parallel world she and the Doctor left behind. This Sarah Jane, so pale and thin and sad, could be her ghost. This Sarah Jane has never met the Doctor; this Sarah Jane has led a completely different life.

Sarah Jane looks around the tiny disheveled flat. So this is the home of Britain’s greatest genius since Sherlock Holmes. And his companion; his wife? his partner? his Watson? The girl’s apparent youth is startling. Sarah Jane’s sources claim this child has traveled the Universe, met aliens, visited a parallel world. Hard to believe that one so young could have seen so much. Abruptly she smiles to herself; isn’t that what they used to say about her, all those years ago?

Slowly she catches her breath, composing herself. Rose returns with the tea tray and pours a cup for each of them. She eyes Sarah Jane suspiciously as she sits down on the sofa opposite.

“You know my name. What did you come for?”

“I came to see the Doctor.”

Rose’s face remains carefully expressionless. “What about?”

Sarah Jane smiles, stirring milk into her tea. “He has a reputation for unique brilliance. It’s said that he, you and he, have seen and done things the rest of us can only imagine.” She turns an inquisitive eye on her hostess. “Oddly, no one can tell me his name. He’s always just ‘the Doctor’.”

“He’s just the Doctor. That’s what he’s called.”

“Doesn’t have a name? or just doesn’t share it?”

Rose’s dark eyes flash defensively. “He’s just the Doctor.”

Sarah Jane reels in her bloodhound instinct, stepping back into the motherly persona that has always invited such confidences from her subjects. “It’s hardly important. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be so rude. I’m asking your help, after all. Let me start again.”

Rose nods, relaxing slightly. Sarah Jane sips her tea. 

“As you may know, I’m a writer. Lately, a science writer for the Royal Society. I translate their work into plain English. In my job I come across all manner of interesting ideas. But something lately has begun to trouble me, and it seems no one can help me sort it out. I had hoped your Doctor might be the one. If tales of his genius are to be believed, he may be the only one.”

Rose looks doubtful. “Well, he is brilliant, but I don’t think he’d be any help with the plain English. He hardly ever says two words together that I can understand.”

“No, it’s not the translation I need help with; it’s the implications. There’s research going on that no one will discuss. Troubling research. I’ve a decent background in the sciences, as does - er, did, sorry - my late husband.” She pauses, a sudden lump in her throat.

Rose blinks as if startled. “I’m so sorry.”

Sarah Jane smiles at the girl’s sudden compassion. All trace of suspicion is gone. She opens her mouth to speak, but suddenly cannot trust her own voice. “I beg your pardon. It’s still a bit - fresh. I’ll be fine in a moment.”

Rose reaches out and takes her hand. Abruptly tears spring to the older woman’s eyes, her professional veneer cracking, her control lost.

“It’s just... sorry. I’m afraid that he may have died... because of it. It was an accident, clearly an accident. But I can’t help... wondering.” Recovering herself she withdraws her hand, shaking off the younger woman’s concern. “I’m fine, really. I’m so sorry. May I trouble you for a glass of water?”

Rose leaps to her feet and disappears into the kitchen. Slowly Sarah Jane regains her composure, catching her breath as best she can. By the time the girl returns she’s nearly herself again. She takes a grateful sip of water.

“Thank you. I’d like to tell you everything but I’d rather not tell it twice. Will, er, the Doctor be available sometime soon?” 

“No telling. He just disappears sometimes. He’ll be back, but I’ve no idea when. If you’d like to wait a bit, see if he turns up, I’ll fix us more tea.” 

“Thank you. You’re very kind.” 

Once again Rose steps away. Sarah Jane sits back, contemplating those deep brown eyes. Eyes that have seen too much already, for one so young.

Rose returns with a fresh teapot and refills their cups. “Sarah Jane... If you don’t mind my asking, how d’you know about us?”

Sarah Jane smiles teasingly. “A journalist never reveals her sources. But in my work the name Torchwood comes up quite a bit. I’ve been following them rather closely in the last few years, ever since the appearance of the Cybermen, and especially since all that end-of-days business some months ago. Nowadays, with such a large staff, it’s not so difficult to find someone willing to talk about the new boy, whose brilliance outshines them all.”

A blush touches the girl’s cheeks, a tiny smile on her lips. Sarah Jane eyes her thoughtfully.

“What about you? You recognized me too, didn’t you?”

The blush deepens, the smile vanishing. Rose avoids Sarah Jane’s eyes, glancing around the room as if at a loss. Finally she takes a deep breath and looks up, determination on her face.

“I don’t know you. Not you, exactly. A different you, in a parallel world.” 

“I beg your pardon.”

“You don’t believe me.”

“I’m sorry. I’m a journalist, I’m naturally skeptical. You said ‘parallel world’.”

“Yeah I did. It’s the truth. The Doctor and I came here from a parallel universe. Some things are kind of the same. It can be a bit of a shock, meeting someone you know, who you don’t really know.”

“I see.” Sarah Jane sets aside her doubt, remembering the many odd things she’s already heard about this pair. “Actually, that explains rather a lot. I’d wondered how a mind like his could have remained hidden all this time. Even as a child he must have been brilliant.”

An odd smile flashes across the girl’s face and quickly vanishes. Sarah Jane presses on.

“Perhaps it also explains how the childless Pete Tyler suddenly came to have an adult daughter.”

Once again Rose flushes deeply, her eyes blazing. “There was no parallel Doctor. And no parallel Rose.”

“But there’s a parallel Sarah Jane Smith.”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me about her.”

“Well, she’s a journalist, of course. But she’s known the Doctor for years, ever since she was my age, more or less. You - she - used to travel with him, all over the universe. He used to... well, it’s a bit of a long story.” Rose rubs her temples as if to ward off a headache. “I don’t know if I can make any sense of it, really. It’s quite mad.”

Sarah Jane settles back in her chair. “Try me.”

 

Sarah Jane gapes in wonder as Rose tells her story. Aliens! Time travel! Immortality! A man who could change his face! An epic battle to save the universe, culminating in separation, a new life in a new world. Every detail is entirely unbelievable, but Sarah Jane is captivated, almost wistful for the exciting life her other self must lead.

“What an extraordinary story!”

Rose smiles wryly. “Honestly, I probably wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t been there.”

“I don’t doubt it.” 

At that moment the sound of approaching voices breaks in on their awareness: male voices, raised in argument. The door flies open and two men sweep into the flat mid-debate.

“I’m telling you, it’s thirty-seventh century, not a moment earlier, and it’s high art. It’s not a bloody cave painting, it’s really worth something! Er, will be, that is.”

“I’m sorry, Doctor, you’re completely wrong.”

The two women get to their feet and Rose clears her throat. Startled, the men spin around to face them. The Doctor gapes at Sarah Jane, his face a jumble of conflicting expressions. Rose tries to hide her amusement at she makes the introductions.

“Doctor, Jack, this is Mrs. Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane, the Doctor, and Captain Jack Harkness.”

For an instant the two men can only stare. Jack recovers first, taking Sarah Jane’s hand and smiling playfully. “Delighted to meet you, Mrs. Smith.”

“Likewise, Captain. Please call me Sarah Jane.” There’s something familiar about that cheeky grin, something in the darkness behind those twinkling blue eyes. Something she can’t place. She withdraws her hand and turns to the Doctor, who quickly composes himself like a child caught staring.

“Sarah Jane...”

“Pleased to meet you, er, Doctor.”

“You’re dying.”

The blood drains from Sarah Jane’s face, her head suddenly light as air. Rose quickly helps her to sit down again, glaring up at the Doctor.

“What did you have to go and say that for? How about ‘hello’? Ever think of that?”

“It’s all right, Rose.” Sarah Jane squeezes the girl’s arm reassuringly, staring at the Doctor. “It’s true, after all. I’m not even that surprised it should be so obvious. I’ve lost my husband. I’ve lost friends I trust. Now I’m dying, and no one can help me. Unless you can help me, Doctor.”

In an instant he is kneeling by her side, her hand in his. 

“I promise you, Sarah Jane, I will do everything I can.”

 

Sarah Jane sits comfortably tucked into the plush armchair, a blanket on her lap and a glass of water within easy reach. Rose slouches on the sofa, Jack beside her with his feet on the coffee table. The Doctor paces the cozy room, his eyes everywhere but on her. Watching him, Sarah Jane is reminded once again of the great detective. She can imagine his sharp mind working furiously under the inattentive facade. Resolutely she begins her story.

“It all starts with John Lumic.”

Rose and the Doctor exchange a startled glance, and Rose swallows nervously.

“I see you know who he is.”

Jack chimes in. “The mad scientist behind the Cyberman debacle, wasn’t he?”

Sarah Jane nods. “He was stopped. The Cyberman threat has been wiped out, as far as anyone knows. But Lumic had his supporters. People who believed that the human condition could be overcome. Not necessarily by mechanical means, but somehow.”

All eyes are on her now. Jack leans forward, feet on the floor, and the Doctor stops his restless pacing.

“Someone was doing research. I couldn’t find any original papers, just vague references in other works. But it sounded like immunology. Eradication of disease. The cure for cancer and the common cold. I’m a journalist; that’s big news. But no one would talk about it.”

She feels flushed, her face hot, her mouth dry. Six eyes bore into her. She takes a sip of water in lieu of the deep breath she really wants. This is the hard part, she thinks to herself.

“That’s when John - my husband - got involved. He’s - he was - an epidemiologist, working at the same research center that seemed to be the source. If one of his colleagues was researching the eradication of disease, he wanted to be a part of it. He was determined to be a part of it. He tracked down those references, beat on people’s doors, demanded to know who was working on the problem. And that’s when he was killed.”

A sudden lump in her throat chokes her. She covers her mouth with both hands and closes her eyes, focusing on gentle, shallow breathing. It will not do to break down now. She hears the Doctor step toward her, senses Rose leaning forward in her seat. Dropping her hands back to her lap, she sits up straight and opens her eyes. Tears remain at bay.

“It was an accident. A motorcycle crash. He swerved to avoid a loose dog, hit an oily patch...” She swallows, bracing herself. “He lived for a while. Long enough for me to see him, long enough to say goodbye. But they couldn’t stop the bleeding.”

She stares blankly ahead, seeing his smile again, hearing his belly laugh. The room around her is silent; no one seems to even breathe. After what seems an age she drags herself back to the present. She takes another sip of water, battling her burning lungs.

“I’ve tried to retrace his steps. But since then, several researchers who worked on the project have died. One previously healthy man had a massive heart attack. Another contracted a rare infection in hospital, when he only went in for a few stitches. A third researcher, a friend, died of an unknown lung condition. Her family would not permit an autopsy. But her symptoms...”

“The same as yours.” The Doctor finishes for her.

“I’ve seen everyone, every doctor, every specialist, every herbalist and naturopath anyone could possibly recommend. It isn’t cancer, it doesn’t respond to any known treatment, and a biopsy turned up nothing. If I’m on Laura’s path... I have maybe two weeks. They’re just rotting away and nothing can stop it.” Tears fill her eyes as she gazes up at him. “I just want to know: what is there to hide? Are they really killing us, or is it just an enormous coincidence? What is so secret, so terribly dangerous?”

“What’s the connection with Lumic?”

“I’m not certain. I know he had a lot of people on his staff, but of course everyone has been quick to minimize their involvement. Some of them were killed, upgraded. Some disavowed him and work in the open. But some have... vanished. They haven’t died or left or turned up anywhere; they’re just gone.”

The Doctor nods. “I’ll need names. Everything you have.”

Sarah Jane reaches into her oversize handbag on the floor and pulls out a thick file. 

“That’s everything. Everyone John talked to, everyone I talked to. The papers that got me on the scent. The details of every illness. And the accident. Everything I could think of.”

He takes the file solemnly. “We’ll get it sorted, Sarah Jane.”

She smiles up at him, the tears still standing in her eyes. “Thank you, Doctor.”

He returns her smile warmly. “Jack, would you kindly return Mrs. Smith to her home? I expect she’s had a long day.”

“Yes, sir!” Jack rises gracefully and helps Sarah Jane to her feet. She turns to look at each of them. 

“Thank you all so much. If this all comes to nothing, then thank you for listening so patiently to the ramblings of a mad old woman.”

The Doctor grins. “My Sarah Jane. If this all comes to nothing, it will be my failing, not yours.”

 

In the morning Rose is awakened by a gentle touch. She squints at the Doctor through sleep-blurred eyes. “You up all night?”

He nods. “I read through the file. Now I’m going to go see Sarah Jane. You coming?”

“Yeah.” Shoving aside the blankets Rose crawls out of bed, fumbling sleepily with her clothes. The Doctor waits impatiently as she dresses. She nods at the file in his hands. “What did you find out?”

“Not much. Hurry up!”

“All right, all right, I’m coming! Where’s Jack?”

The Doctor grins. “Didn’t come back last night.”

“Oh really?” Rose returns the teasing smile. “Always up to something, that one.”

 

As they make their way across town, Rose begins to notice an unusual silence in her companion. “You all right?”

“I’m always all right.”

“Go on.”

He sighs. “It’s odd, seeing Sarah Jane like this. She’s so different. The same, and yet different. And... it was bad enough saying goodbye to her on the TARDIS. To watch her die, here, now...” He shakes his head morosely. Rose takes his hand, comforting, and they walk on wordlessly through the wakening city.

 

They soon arrive at a quiet house in a quiet, tree-lined street. The Doctor raps smartly at the door. When it opens they are startled to see Jack standing there, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

“Morning, kids! The lady of the house is just now up and about. Come on in.” 

They stare at him, eyebrows raised, as he leads them into a neat sitting room and invites them to take chairs. Sarah Jane appears in the kitchen doorway, wrapped in a thick pink dressing gown.

“Rose! Doctor! I’m so sorry, I’m not dressed. I didn’t expect anything so soon!” She sits down across from them, balanced on the edge of her chair. “What is it? Did you find something?”

The Doctor grins up at Jack, who vanishes into the kitchen. “We were wondering where he’d got to. Hope he’s not been too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all. We were up till all hours talking. He told me he’s been sleeping on your sofa, so I offered him my spare room.” She gives the Doctor a sideways look. “Turns out we were previously acquainted.” 

“No! Were you now?”

Jack returns, setting cups of coffee before them. “Oh yeah, me and Sarah Jane go way back. Right, sweetheart?” He gives her a wink, and she looks at him doubtfully.

“So he claims. But that would have been almost forty years ago.”

The Doctor leans forward, interested. “Well, let’s have it!”

Sarah Jane gives Jack another skeptical glance. “I was on my first big assignment, investigating the disappearance of a number of scientists from a top-secret research center.”

Jack interrupts. “She made creative use of a relative’s credentials to get in. Pretty clever, if you ask me.”

“I didn’t,” Sarah Jane responds crisply. “Anyway, he claims he was there too. And I admit there’s a striking resemblance between your Captain Jack Harkness and a self-important young soldier named John Hart who was skulking around the place at the time.”

"I’d already encountered UNIT as Jack Harkness. I didn’t want them to catch on too quick.”

As the two of them banter, the Doctor slowly goes pale, his eyes wide. Sarah Jane glances at him and abruptly stops. “Something wrong, Doctor?”

“No, of course not. Go on.”

“That’s all there is to it, really. UNIT was trying to cover up the disappearances, and I was trying to uncover them. In the end the men were all found alive; no one ever determined conclusively where they’d gone or what happened to them. As far as I know, anyway.”

She glares at Jack but he only shrugs. The Doctor nods, staring blankly into the distance.

“I see, I see...”

“Wait.” Rose sits up suddenly. “Isn’t that - Didn’t you -”

“Never mind that now. Let’s get down to business.”

 

Rose quickly tunes out the conversation. Medical research, advanced biochemistry, it’s all over her head. But that meeting years ago between Jack and Sarah Jane... Could it be important? After all, in her - in their old world, the Doctor first met Sarah Jane under eerily similar circumstances. That would have been in the seventies, wouldn’t it?

Parallel worlds, parallel in strange and incomprehensible ways. She shakes her head to clear it, and tries to pay attention to the Doctor.

“Tuberculosis,” Sarah Jane is saying. She looks pale.

“A modified strain, almost unrecognizable. I’m not surprised your doctors didn’t spot it. It isn’t a nice bug to begin with, and someone’s been fooling with it. Not very smart.”

“But I - oh gods, tuberculosis is terribly contagious, isn’t it? Have I put you all in danger?”

“I don’t think so. I’ll have to get into the lab to be certain, but this strain seems to be rather well-behaved for its kind. None of your colleagues have fallen ill, nor have any of your friend’s family or co-workers. So we are probably safe.”

“Probably,” Rose mutters skeptically.

“Oi! Well, most likely. Possibly. I think. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. We’re going to have a poke round the lab today, see if we can scare up any rats.”

 

Jack lets out an exasperated breath. “That’s a lab? It looks more like a bunker! Barbed wire? Electrified barbed wire?”

The Doctor nods, a gleam of excitement in his eye. “Indeed. Much higher security than your average think tank.”

The three friends crouch in the shrubbery surrounding the rear of the research campus, some fifty yards from the tall forbidding fence that encloses the property. Rose watches a heavily armed soldier pacing back and forth inside the fence. 

“No sneaking in then.”

“No. It’s the front door for us. Jack?” 

“What? Oh. Oh, all right.” 

With a sigh Jack retrieves a billfold from an inner pocket and slaps it into the Doctor’s outstretched hand. Rose recognizes Jack’s stash of psychic paper. Tucking the billfold away, the Doctor gives them a mischievous grin. “All right then. Allons-y! And Jack? No guns.”

Jack puts on his most innocent expression. “Guns? Me? Do I look armed to you?”

“Always. Leave them in the car.”

Jack grumbles as they retreat through the little wood back to his utility vehicle.

 

A few minutes later Jack parks in the visitor’s lot and the three walk in through the front door. The Doctor waves Jack’s billfold at the sour young man behind the front desk.

“Morning! I’ve come to look at your lab space. Understand you have a vacancy.”

The receptionist looks at the billfold, then up at the Doctor. “Doctor John Smith? Really?”

“Of course. What about it?”

“We’ve only just had a Doctor John Smith. The empty lab was his.”

“Oh. Right.” The Doctor looks taken aback. “Well it’s a common enough name, isn’t it?”

Unconvinced, the young man turns to Rose and Jack. “And you are?”

The Doctor answers for them. “My assistant, Jack Harkness; and Rose Tyler, our most promising graduate student.”

Rose smiles weakly, and Jack turns on the charm under the receptionist’s hard stare. With a heavy sigh the young man pushes a button on the desk. The intercom buzzes.

“Yes, Ben, what is it?”

“Sir, there’s a Doctor John Smith here about the empty lab.”

“Doctor - who? Never mind. I’ll just be a moment.”

Ben switches off the intercom and looks back up at the visitors. “If you’ll have a seat, Mr. Williams will be with you shortly.”

The three friends settle in hard chairs in the spartan lobby. Jack leans in close to the Doctor, muttering under his breath. “Did you have to use his name?”

“His name? It’s my name! Been using it for centuries!” 

Jack rolls his eyes; Rose chews her lip thoughtfully. “Odd, that. You were using it when you first met her, in the other universe, weren’t you? And here, she marries a man with that name. A clever man. A doctor.”

“Hmm, yes. Parallel worlds indeed.”

“Doctor Smith.” A tall man has appeared behind them, gaunt and severe-looking. He wears a gray suit, nearly the same color as his sparse hair, and peers at them through wire-rimmed glasses.

The Doctor stands and offers his hand. “Mr. Williams, I presume.”

“Indeed. You’re interested in our lab space.”

“I understand you have facilities for genetic manipulation research.”

“Quite. Come along, I’ll show you the lab.”

Mr. Williams leads them down a wide, well-lit hallway as the Doctor chatters about his alleged research, trying in vain to draw Williams into the conversation. They stop at a door about halfway down, which Williams opens with the swipe of a key card.

“This is the available laboratory. Some of the equipment is currently in use elsewhere, but it will be returned promptly should you choose to join us here.”

The Doctor circles the room, poking into cabinets and drawers. Rose follows, trying to look the grad-student part, while Jack stands alertly in the doorway. Finally the Doctor turns back to Williams. “I see. It’s been well cleaned out.”

Williams smiles faintly. “Dr. Starkey next door appropriated everything when the last Dr. Smith vacated. He isn’t using it, but one humors the eccentrics in a place like this, hm?”

The Doctor grins. “Oh yes. Starkey, eh? Epidemiology?”

“Indeed. He’s quite busy at the moment, otherwise I’d introduce you.”

“Never mind. This will do nicely, don’t you agree, Jack?”

“Of course, Doctor.”

 

Rose and Jack return to the parking lot while the Doctor makes the necessary arrangements. Rose fills her lungs with the fresh morning air, feeling a weight lift from her as they walk out of the shadows of the building.

“Ugh, what a place! Like being in school. All sharp corners and people looking over your shoulder.”

Jack chuckles as he opens the car and climbs into the driver’s seat. “The Doctor seems to be in his element.”

“Yeah, he would.” 

“Let him have his fun. I suspect this little adventure is going to require more than just a white coat and a high IQ.” He pulls a notebook computer from under his seat and flips it open. “For example, this Dr. Starkey interests me. I think he needs a closer look.” 

Jack taps at the computer and Rose moves over to watch him work, leaning against the car. Jack quickly finds what he’s looking for. “See? Their security isn’t all that after all. Staff list: Gordon Starkey, Ph.D. Microbiology, virology, epidemiology. Ding! And his home address.” He gives her a sharklike grin.

She returns the crooked smile. “We going to check him out then?”

At that moment the Doctor comes trotting across the parking lot and swings into the passenger seat beside Jack. “Well! Did you find him then?”

Jack passes him the computer and starts the car. Rose scrambles into the back seat, slamming the door just as Jack accelerates away. The Doctor glances at the information on the screen. 

“Excellent! I encountered a chatty secretary in the administrative office.” He winks at Rose, who glares at him. “She tells me Dr. Starkey is likely to be there all day and half the night. Very friendly, she was. Ready to talk my ear off.”

“Flirt.” Rose grumbles, but she can’t help returning his cheeky smile. “Your absent-minded professor is quite the charmer.”

He squirms. “I just pay attention to people, that’s all. No one does that.”

Jack and Rose grin, shaking their heads.

 

The address turns out to be a high rise in one of the less friendly areas of town. The lobby and elevator are empty, and there is no sign of life in the hallways. Upstairs, the Doctor takes out his electric screwdriver, the one he has modified in an attempt to replace the sonic device left behind in the parallel world. He applies it to Starkey’s door as Jack checks the neighboring flats.

“All quiet. Looks like no one’s home on this floor.”

The Doctor opens the door and they step inside. Rose looks around at the sparse untidy space. “What are we looking for?”

The Doctor shrugs. “Just want to get to know the man a bit, that’s all.”

Jack bangs open cabinets in the tiny kitchen. “Doesn’t eat much. Rice cereal, canned soup. Looks like the scratch-and-dent collection.”

Rose shrugs. “He’s cheap. Or he’s hurting for cash.”

The Doctor gives her a quick smile. “Good thought. Let’s remember to have a look at his financials later.”

The three of them spread out through the flat. The shabby rooms suggest that their owner returns only to sleep, or occasionally eat. There are few personal effects; few books, no music or movies, few clothes, no pictures. The flat is a stopover, not a home. They gather again by the front door. Jack flips through a pile of junk mail on a nearby table.

“Guess we’ll need a look at that lab after all.”

The Doctor nods. “Fortunately, Dr. John Smith will be moving his research to that location tomorrow. He will need his assistants.” He grins at them.

“That it for now then?” Rose asks. “I could use something to eat.”

Jack seconds the suggestion and they leave the flat, carefully locking the door behind them.

 

Leaving the building they amble back toward Jack’s vehicle, discussing the possibilities for lunch. Suddenly the Doctor dashes off ahead of them. Jack looks up, startled, and with a curse runs after him. When Rose catches up, both men are kneeling on the ground examining their four flat tires.

“Hells,” mutters Jack, getting to his feet and brushing himself off. “Those were brand new.”

The Doctor wanders down the block, examining other parked cars. “Looks like we were targeted. If it were random I’d expect others to be hit, but there’s no sign of damage anywhere else.”

Rose crouches down to examine the deep cut in the front tire and pulls out her cell phone. 

“That must have been quite a knife. I’m calling Dad; he’ll have someone with a tow truck.”

As she speaks to Pete, Jack hurries away in the opposite direction from the Doctor. By the time she puts her phone away both men are out of sight. She stands on the sidewalk, gazing at the dark windows in the buildings all around her. No one home anywhere, it seems. The street is like a ghost town, silent and deserted. She paces aimlessly for several minutes, looking up and down for her friends’ return. There is no sign of them. She steps into the street to see if she can see the tow truck coming.

A noise erupts from behind her, squealing tires and the roar of a powerful engine. Instinctively she leaps up onto the hood of Jack’s car, scrambling across it to drop back onto the sidewalk. A huge black sedan screams into view, scraping harshly against the side of the car, tearing off the side mirror and smashing the driver’s door right where she’d just been standing. As suddenly as it appeared, the car races away and vanishes around the corner. Breathlessly Rose watches it go.

An instant later Jack tears into view around another corner, gun in hand. “Rose! You all right?”

“Yeah, fine. What happened?”

He stops beside her, eyes on the street, pistol cocked. “I met the guy with the knife. And a couple of his friends. Where’s the Doctor?”

They both look down the street after him, but he is out of sight. Rose sets off running, her heart in her mouth; Jack pounds right along beside her.

“Doctor!”

There is no sign of him around the next corner, or the next. But down a dark alley Rose catches sight of movement in the shadow of an enormous pile of trash. 

“Doctor!”

He gets stiffly to his feet as she runs up to him and seizes his arm. “Doctor, are you hurt?”

“Just roughed up a bit. Jack, what did I tell you?”

“Sorry, Doc. I have selective hearing.” He grins and puts the gun away. Rose looks the Doctor up and down, worried. 

“I’m fine, Rose. Really.” He smiles at her as he brushes himself off. She eyes him skeptically. 

“What happened?”

“Oddest thing. This gang of kids came out of nowhere, but all they did was knock me down and run away.”

“Interesting.” Jack raises an eyebrow. “Same thing happened to me. Only, one of them was heavily armed. Not as heavily as me of course.” He grins and the Doctor frowns. “Hey what was I gonna do? Let ‘em knife me?”

The Doctor glares at him and turns to Rose. “Did you see anything?”

“Besides the car that nearly ran me down? Not a bloody thing.”

“What car?”

She shrugs. “Some car. Made a mess of Jack’s. Didn’t have a number plate, and the windows were all dark.”

The Doctor scowls deeply. “Sounds like we’re on to something.” 

He trots out of the alley and back to the car. Checking the street carefully, he steps out to examine the damage. “So. I get knocked down by a bunch of children, and another bunch threaten a gunman with a pocket knife. But someone tried seriously to kill you.” He gives Rose a dark look. “That makes me very angry.”

Just then the tow truck turns the corner. Jack claps Rose on the shoulder.

“You two get a cab home. It’s my car, I’ll deal with this.”

She nods and takes out her phone. By the time a taxi arrives, Jack’s vehicle is secured and he climbs into the truck with the driver. Rose gets into the taxi with the Doctor and they leave the chilling scene behind.

 

Back at home, Rose makes sandwiches for all of them, though her appetite is gone. She sits at the kitchen table, watching the Doctor as he stares moodily out the window. Jack breezes in as the afternoon light begins to fade.

“Thanks, sweetheart!” He scoops up a sandwich and takes a bite, continuing with a full mouth. “Any brilliant ideas from Nick and Nora?” 

Rose glares at him, then shrugs, picking at her food. The Doctor turns from the window, a dark glint in his eye. “Shouldn’t have been surprised. Four are dead already, and one dying. I should have been more careful.” He looks at Rose. “I’m sorry.”

She scowls. “You couldn’t have known. We haven’t gotten anywhere yet, how could you possibly think that someone would come after us? And anyway, we don’t even know for sure if the deaths are connected.”

“Well, someone’s trying to scare us off. Makes me wonder what we know that we don’t know we know.” He flashes her a quick grin, and she smiles crookedly.

Jack hurriedly finishes his sandwich. “Well, kids it’s been fun, but I’ve got to hit the road. I told Sarah Jane I’d fill her in on our adventures.” He winks. “Don’t wait up.”

Rose shakes her head as the door closes behind him, then turns back to the Doctor. “Don’t you think it’s odd?”

“Jack? Never.”

“No, I mean that they know each other. That they met there, where she met you.”

“Also, incidentally, where she met her husband.”

“Did she?”

“Doctor John Smith. He was one of the researchers working at the lab. Not one of the ones who vanished; they were all senior scientists, he was just starting out.”

“So she fell in love with him, instead of you.”

She grins as he squirms uncomfortably. “Er. Well. Anyway, I don’t know. It is a parallel universe after all. Bound to be all sorts of parallels.”

“But Jack?”

“Who knows? The other Jack spent all his time on Earth looking for me. This one wasn’t looking for me, but he found me anyway. Like I said. Parallel.”

“Bloody parallel lunacy.” She rubs her eyes hard. He looks at her with concern.

“You sure you’re all right?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Close call today, that’s all.”

“Oh, cuz I never had one of those before? Go on.” She grins at him. He returns her gaze thoughtfully, hands in his pockets.

“I couldn’t lose you, you know. I don’t know what I’d do.”

She feels a flush rising in her cheeks, a vague remnant of guilt. He’d lost everything in that last battle, ending up with only her. She still wonders sometimes if he finds the exchange worthwhile. But she pushes down her trepidation and meets his eyes steadily. “I’m not going anywhere. Promise.”

“Glad to hear it.” 

It’s her turn to squirm under his gaze.

“Come on, then. You should eat something.”

He grins wickedly as he drops into the chair beside her. “Yes, Mum.”

“Shut up!” She smiles broadly, feeling herself again. They eat in silence for a while; then she looks at him thoughtfully. “Doctor?”

“Mmm?”

“Oh nothing. Never mind.”

He eyes her over his sandwich. “Go on.”

“It’s not important. I was going to ask you about your name.”

“What about it?”

“Well... Like today. You called yourself John Smith, but it isn’t really your name. And Doctor... Doctor’s not really a name either. Not really, not like Rose or Jack or John Smith.”

“It’s worked for me for over nine hundred years.”

“But you have one, don’t you? A Time Lord name. One that you could only tell...” She trails off uncertainly.

He sets the sandwich down, his jaw suddenly tight. “It’s not my name. Not anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“You said it. It’s a Time Lord name. All wrapped up in Time Lord ritual, Time Lord culture. Belongs to a Time Lord. I may have a Time Lord mind, Time Lord memories, but I am not a Time Lord. Not anymore.”

She drops her eyes, her cheeks burning. “I’m sorry.”

“Anyway, I’m used to being called Doctor. Would you rather call me something else?”

She looks up with a smile, her doubt suddenly gone. “Honestly, after all this time I don’t think I could call you anything else.”

He returns her grin. “You just keep calling me Doctor then.” Swallowing the last of his sandwich he pushes away from the table. 

“Fancy a jaunt over to Torchwood? We’ve got a research laboratory to furnish tomorrow.”

“All right. Allons-y!”

 

“Honey, I’m home!”

Sarah Jane smiles, shaking her head as Jack enters. “Hello Jack. Did you find anything out today?”

“Only that there’s something to find out.” He tells her about the slashed tires, the gangs, and the car with tinted windows.

“My gods! She’s all right?” Sarah Jane sits down slowly. “I don’t believe it. What can they be doing? Jack, I couldn’t bear it if one of you were killed over this. Because of me.”

“Relax. We’re hard to kill. And none of us gives up easily, least of all Rose. She’d be in this for herself now, if not for you.”

Sarah Jane buries her face in her hands. “I never imagined... I never thought, when I saw that research, that it would be the least trouble. It seemed so simple. I’ve been stonewalled before, but to have someone nearly killed... I’ve been a journalist for almost forty years, and that’s never happened to me. I wish I’d never...”

Jack sits beside her on the sofa and puts his arm around her. “Now now. None of that. All it means is you’ve uncovered something important. If you hadn’t spotted it, these people would just keep doing whatever they’re doing with no one to stop them, and I get the feeling that wouldn’t be a good thing either.”

Sarah Jane drops her hands. “You’re right, of course. But I’m going to be absolutely terrified for you until this is all over.”

Jack grins smugly. “I can live with that.”

She laughs, her fear receding. “You’re a good man, Jack.”

 

In the morning, Rose and the Doctor are busily unpacking and setting up equipment when Jack and Sarah Jane are escorted to the lab by the dour Ben. The Doctor looks up with a broad grin. 

“Good morning! So glad you could join us today.”

Sarah Jane gives him a hurt look and turns to Rose. “I’m so sorry about yesterday. I’m glad you’re all right.”

“I’m fine. You?”

Sarah Jane shrugs vaguely. The Doctor clears his throat, looking embarrassed. 

“Perhaps, Rose, you and Jack can finish setting up the lab. Sarah Jane, would you care to accompany me on a visit to Dr. Starkey?”

“Of course, Dr. Smith.” 

She avoids his eyes. He glances at the others, but gets no sympathy. “Right. Off we go then.” He sweeps out the door, Sarah Jane right behind him.

In the hallway he stops and turns to her. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t think. I’ve used the name for so long, I’ve forgotten that there are actually real people called John Smith.”

She shakes her head, not looking up. “It’s all right. I’m sorry to be so short with you.”

He watches her for a moment, then turns away with a sigh. Sarah Jane stops him with a hand on his arm.

“I looked up his financials, like you asked. There’s nothing, nothing unusual. No bad investments, no large amounts of cash moving around, nothing more than what you’d expect from a research scientist married to his work.”

The Doctor nods. “Thank you.” He takes her hand, smiling. “Let’s see what the doctor himself can tell us.”

She returns his smile and they continue down the hall to the lab.

 

“Morning! You must be Starkey. I’m Smith, Dr. John Smith. I understand there’s some overlap in our work so I thought I’d just pop by and say hello. Have you met Mrs. Smith? Wife of the late, er, Dr. John Smith, used to work here you know. Right next door in fact; you must have known him. Am I right?”

“You are interrupting my work.” Dr. Starkey stands with his back to them. Other than his youth he looks very much the part of the mad scientist, with unkempt dark hair, hunched shoulders, and a stained lab coat. He doesn’t turn as he speaks. “I do not have time for idle chat. Please leave.”

The Doctor stands speechless a moment, and Sarah Jane glances up at him questioningly. He opens and closes his mouth a few times before continuing.

“Right. Well. If you’d ever like to discuss the finer points of artificial gene acceleration, I’m your man. Pop on by any time.”

Starkey ignores him. He waits another moment and then turns to leave the room. Sarah Jane stops him.

“Dr. Starkey. You knew my husband. I wonder if you could tell me anything of his work here. If he left anything behind.”

Starkey whirls around to face them, snarling. “Nothing’s been left behind. All notes and personal effects were cleared out and sent home. You shouldn’t be here! Please leave!”

Sarah Jane walks up to him, nearly matching him in height. “Are you hiding something, Dr. Starkey? I’m no threat to you. I only want to know about my husband’s work in the last months of his life.”

Starkey shrinks back from her, almost sniveling. “I can have security in if you like. My work is not for public consumption. I don’t care who your husband was.”

She glares at him, then turns and stalks out of the room. The Doctor watches her go, then looks back at Starkey, who has returned to his work.

“Er. Um. Well. Cheerio, old man.” 

Starkey ignores him. With a shrug he follows Sarah Jane into the hallway, where she leans against the wall looking defeated. He sighs.

“Well, that got us exactly nowhere.”

Sarah Jane shakes her head. “I’ve never met such an unfriendly man. And oddly, I’m almost certain I’ve met him before. Ages ago, when John started working here, they had a little cocktail hour in the lounge. That’s where I met Laura, and one or two other people. I’m sure Dr. Starkey was there, but he seemed so much more pleasant then.”

“Perhaps his work is beginning to affect him. The whole place seems somehow more, er, uptight than it needs to. Of course, four deaths in such a short space of time would do that to anyone.”

Sarah Jane nods, and the Doctor continues. “Let’s get back to our lab. We’ll come up with some way to have a look at Starkey’s work. And your husband’s, if there’s something that didn’t make it home.”

 

That night, the four of them sit in Jack’s rented car in the parking lot, watching for Starkey to leave. They have a long wait, but finally, after midnight, the small figure with the wild hair hurries out of the building to catch the last bus. Jack opens his notebook computer on his lap.

“I have control of the security cameras. You’re good to go. I’ll let you know if anyone turns up.”

The Doctor nods, and he and Rose jump out of the car and head into the building. The young guard behind the front desk leaps to his feet as the Doctor sweeps past him. 

“Doctor! Doctor, sir! You’ve got to sign in, sir! Sir?”

Rose stops and gives him a friendly smile. “Sorry. There’s no stopping him when he gets like this.” She signs in for both of them as the young man stares at her. “I’m Rose. I’m his student.”

The guard nods, still gaping. He can’t be more than twenty, with clear green eyes and tousled sandy hair, and the serious mien of one acutely aware of his responsibilities. “Pleased to meet you, er, Rose. I’m... I’m Eddie.”

She beams at him. “Nice to meet you, Eddie. See you again.” 

His eyes follow her as she hurries down the hall after the Doctor.

 

Rose finds the Doctor in Starkey’s lab, hacking into the computer. He glances up as she enters and tosses her his electric screwdriver. 

“See what’s in the cabinets, won’t you? I’ve added a few features, but I think the third setting still does locks.”

Catching the tool easily and adjusting its settings, she soon has the first cabinet open. “Ugh, textbooks! I don’t mind if I never see another textbook in my life!” 

The Doctor grins as she works her way down the row.

 

Hours pass as they work. Rose stifles a yawn as she removes yet another thick notebook full of illegible nonsense from the scanner. Her cell phone beeps, startling her, and she glances blearily at the message.

“Doctor, Jack says the morning shift is arriving. They’re going to reset the cameras.”

“Right. Allons-y!” The Doctor pulls his flash drive from Starkey’s computer and quickly shuts it down. Rose puts the last of the notebooks away and they hurry out of the lab, locking the door behind them with the Doctor’s screwdriver.

Jack and Sarah Jane meet them back in their own lab. The Doctor glances at Sarah Jane in alarm.

“Jack, take that poor woman home at once. She’s exhausted.”

Sarah Jane glares at him. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what you’ve found.”

“I’m not sure yet. I would say Starkey is definitely our man as far as the disease research question goes. He has a large selection of samples, which could be experimental cures or they could be biological weapons. But his notes and labels are in code. I didn’t want to take the time to break it while we were in there, but I can get to work on it now. It could take a while, though. The man’s not stupid, but he does seem rather paranoid.”

Sarah Jane sits resolutely in a chair, crossing her arms. Rose moves to her side. “Sarah Jane, please let me take you home. I’m about to drop myself, and he could be hours. He’ll call us as soon as he knows anything at all.”

Sarah Jane wavers, glaring at the Doctor. He meets her gaze. “I’ll call. I promise. Now go.”

She holds his eyes a long moment, and then gets to her feet. Rose takes her arm and the two women walk out of the room.

 

The sun is bright in the window when the Doctor’s phone rings. Recognizing Rose’s number he quickly hits the speaker button. “Yeah.”

“I’m in the emergency department. Sarah Jane’s had an attack.”

Jack is on his feet, pulling on his greatcoat. The Doctor looks at him wide-eyed.

“I’ve almost got the code.”

“You stay here and finish that. She won’t be happy to see you if you don’t.” He raises his voice. “Rose, I’m on my way.” With a nod to the Doctor, he vanishes out the door.

 

When Jack arrives at the hospital, Sarah Jane is sitting up in bed wearing an oxygen mask. Rose slumps in a chair beside her. Both women look gray with fatigue. Jack turns his dazzling smile on Sarah Jane.

“Hello gorgeous. Not nice of you to scare us like that.” She gives him a tiny smile as he puts an arm around her shoulders and kisses the top of her head. “What happened?”

Rose sits up. “She just started coughing and couldn’t stop.”

Sarah Jane moves the mask away from her face. “It’s happened before; it’ll happen again. Part of this roller coaster I’m on.” She returns the mask to her face and takes a careful breath, closing her eyes.

Jack turns to Rose. “Rosie, go home. You look dead. I’ll keep the lady company until the boys in white coats tell her she can leave.”

Rose looks doubtfully at Sarah Jane.

“Go on, Rose. I’ll be fine. Thank you so much.”

Struggling to her feet, Rose gives each of them a brief hug and drags herself out the door. Jack looks back at Sarah Jane. 

“You should be getting some sleep. Staying out all night with us party animals isn’t doing you any good.”

She glares at him over the mask. 

“They’re not going to let you go for a while, so you may as well rest.” With gentle hands he eases her down onto the bed. She puts up a token resistance, but quickly gives in to her exhaustion and closes her eyes. Jack drops into Rose’s chair to wait.

 

Sarah Jane wakes to the buzzing of Jack’s phone, opening her eyes as he hurries out of the room to answer it. The oxygen tank is gone, as is the crushing suffocation; her lungs ache but she can breathe again. Gingerly she sits up as Jack comes back in looking thoughtful.

“How are you?”

She smiles. “About as well as could be expected.”

“The doctors say you can go anytime you feel up to it. And the Doctor has cracked the code. I said we’d meet at your house, soon as you like.”

She climbs carefully out of the bed, containing her anxiety as best she can. “I’m ready.”

 

They arrive at the house to find Rose and the Doctor waiting. Sarah Jane waves away their concern.

“What have you found, Doctor?”

“Well, I haven’t sorted everything out. I need to get back in there and run tests on his samples. But there’s a strong possibility he created that superbug you’re fighting right now.”

She nods, her jaw set, as he continues.

“There is also a strong possibility he created an antidote. Once I get in there, I should be able to find out for sure. We should be able to cure you.”

“That would be wonderful. But why? Why is he doing it? Why did he kill all those people?”

The Doctor taps his chin thoughtfully. “Interestingly, I found no trace of anything that could have caused those other deaths. Maybe when I run my tests I’ll find something, but there’s nothing in his notes to suggest anything of the kind.”

She looks at him skeptically. “You mean it could be a coincidence?”

He shrugs. “It could be. But I’ve a feeling there’s something more to it. Something more going on here than just one mad scientist.” He picks up his coat. “I’m heading back there now. I’ll let you know the instant I find anything.” He turns to Rose as she gets to her feet. “Are you sure you want to come? I’ll just be running tests. It’ll be boring, and it could be dangerous.”

“Don’t you go protecting me. I want to help. Besides, you need someone to pass you test tubes.” 

She grins as the others snicker; he gives her a wide smile.

“All right then. Allons-y!”

 

When they get back to the lab, Eddie is on duty again. 

“I’m sorry, Rose, Dr. Smith. I have to check everyone’s ID.”

Rose hands him her license and the Doctor’s psychic paper. “Something happen?”

“I’ll say. Dr. Starkey’s lost it. He swears someone’s been in his laboratory. He’s been screaming about it for hours. But he’s completely mad; we’ve been over and over the video and the door codes, and no one has been in there. And even he says there’s nothing missing. But he won’t leave the building. He wants to pack everything up and go somewhere else but since he’s working with infectious disease he can’t. It’s a big deal to move infectious disease around like that.” 

He gives them a nervous grin. Rose gapes at him, and the Doctor clears his throat. 

“Well. Come on, Rose. Nothing to do with us.” He sweeps down the hall; with a final glance at Eddie she hurries after him.

 

Once inside the lab, the door closed behind them, the Doctor explodes, pacing the room in a fury. 

“Damn, damn, damn! How did he know? He couldn’t possibly know!” 

Rose shrugs. “Maybe he doesn’t know. Maybe he’s just paranoid.”

He stops suddenly and spins around to face her. “Oh. Could be. Still...” He resumes pacing at a more moderate rate. “Going to make it tough to get a look at his samples. Not to mention, the psychic paper isn’t going to withstand the increased scrutiny. If Eddie hadn’t been so distracted by you, he might have noticed something odd about it.” 

He grins at her and she grins back. “Shut up.”

“I’m serious. I probably shouldn’t leave here again; I might not be able to get back in. With characters like Starkey around, I’m sure no one will notice.”

“What are you going to do, sleep here?”

“If I need to. I hope I won’t have to be here much longer; we just don’t have a lot of time.” He drops into a chair; Rose leans against the wall, chewing her lip.

At that moment there is a knock at the door, and a broad bespectacled face peers in. “Oh! Hello. You must be Dr. Smith? And... er, miss... er. I’m called Davies, Dr. Nelson Davies, but you can call me Miles. Everyone does. On account of the music. Er.”

Rose hides an amused grin but the Doctor smiles broadly. “Pleased to meet you, Miles! What can I do for you?”

“Er, that is, would you care for some tea? Only I’ve just made a pot, the wife sent along her homemade biscuits, and with all the madness about I thought you might like some. You and your, er, assistant of course.” He blinks at them owlishly through his glasses.

“Love some! Delighted! Come along, Rose. Lock up now.” 

The Doctor breezes out of the room with Miles. Rose locks the door and hurries after them into the lounge, where Miles is pouring tea.

“Funny thing, Dr. Smith. We’ve only just had a Dr. Smith, did you know? Brilliant man. Terrible accident, very sad.”

“I’ve heard. Did you know him well?”

“Oh yes, quite. He was interested in disease. Quite a lot of us are, still hoping to save the world with science, hm?” He laughs awkwardly. “Er, what is your, ah, specialty, Dr. Smith?”

“Actually I’m in the same field. That’s what brought me here. Opportunity for collusion, all that. Hasn’t worked out so far, you know.”

“Ah yes. Too bad about Starkey. Quite bright, he was. Too bright, maybe, burned himself out.” The man fidgets nervously, a film of sweat glistening on his broad forehead. “What are you working on, er, Dr. Smith?”

The two launch into an arcane discussion of gene splicing and DNA reprogramming, and Rose is quickly lost. She sips her tea and helps herself to another biscuit, not quite remembering the last time she ate. Miles and the Doctor are clearly enjoying their conversation, getting louder and more emphatic by the moment. Suddenly, with a grand gesture the Doctor upends his teacup, spilling the dregs down the front of his shirt. 

“Oh dear, oh dear,” Miles mutters, picking up and dropping an assortment of napkins. The Doctor waves him off.

“Never mind, never mind. I’ll go get cleaned up. Time we were getting back to work anyway. Thank you for the tea, and thanks to your wife for the lovely biscuits. I intend to pick up this discussion another time. Come along, Rose.”

Miles babbles his goodbyes as the Doctor sweeps out of the room with Rose on his heels. 

 

Back in their own lab the Doctor shuts and locks the door behind them. He pulls his shirt off over his head, not bothering with the buttons. Rose raises an eyebrow at him and he gives her a sly grin. 

“Don’t go getting any ideas, you.”

She grins back. “I never.”

With a pair of tweezers and a precision blade, he quickly cuts several tiny squares from the tea-stained spot on his shirt, dropping the samples into various test tubes. “Notice anything about that tea?”

She shrugs. “It seemed nice. Flowery, or something.”

“Indeed. Something.” 

She sits down nearby as he fiddles with the test tubes, ready in case he should need her. But rather than be of any use, she quickly falls asleep.

 

Jack is nearly asleep himself, dozing on Sarah Jane’s sofa, when his phone beeps. He quickly sits up and checks the Doctor’s message.

Sarah Jane looks up from her computer nearby. “What is it?”

“Doc’s onto something.” Jack picks up his own computer and flips it open. “Wants me to check security camera footage.”

Sarah Jane moves over to sit beside him as he hacks into the research center’s security system. “You certainly make that look easy.”

Jack grins. “These guys talk a good game, but whoever’s in charge of their security doesn’t really think they have anything to hide. They do enough to stop casual or accidental visitors, but that’s about it. Kind of like keeping your spare key under the doormat; locking your door helps, but if a person is at all serious about it they can get right in.” 

He scrolls back through hours of footage, finally freezing the frame on an image of a large man in little round glasses and an immaculate lab coat. “That’s our man. Ever seen him before?”

Sarah Jane looks closely at the image. “He looks familiar, but I don’t believe I’ve met him.”

Jack picks up his phone as he scrolls further back through the security footage. “Name’s Nelson Davies. Ring a bell?”

“No, not familiar. But I’ll see what I can find out.” She moves back to her computer as Jack punches in the Doctor’s number. 

“Howdy Doc. Yeah, I’ve got him. The footage only goes back six weeks, but it looks like he was a regular drop-in. Twice a day, up until a couple days ago. Sarah Jane’s checking him out. We’ll have something for you in a bit. What’s it about?” 

He pauses, looking down at the phone with a frown. “Well how about that. He hung up on me! Fine, then, I’m going over there. You call me if you need anything.” 

Sarah Jane nods absently, engrossed in her computer screen, as he grabs his coat and rushes out the door.

 

Rose wakes as Jack is escorted into the room by Eddie the security guard. “Evening, kids! What’s going on here that’s so important you had to hang up on me?”

The Doctor, wearing his damaged shirt, does not look up from his computer. “We’ve been drugged.”

Rose gapes at him, stunned. “What?”

He spins around on his stool to face her. “Our friend Miles does not share his tea out of the kindness of his heart. I believe he is conducting experiments on his fellow researchers.”

Jack crosses his arms. “I thought scientists frowned on that sort of thing.”

“Generally, yes. I’m sure Miles has his justifications. But in the meantime, I can’t prove anything. Whatever he put in the tea, it leaves only a slight trace that quickly deteriorates. I’ve been trying to reverse engineer it but no luck so far.”

“Is that why you wanted to know about his visits to Starkey?”

“Yep. We’ve reason to believe dear Dr. Starkey has undergone a fairly profound personality shift in the last six months. Overwork might account for some of it, but rarely has a man gotten into his current condition without chemical assistance.”

“What is his current condition?”

“Mad as a hatter. He refuses to leave his lab, and he’s taken apart the furniture to block up the doors and windows. With luck, he’ll improve now that he’s not being dosed anymore. Something that breaks down this fast shouldn’t be permanent. On the other hand, it’s likely been six months at least. Anything is possible.”

Rose breaks in. “What’s it do, this drug?”

“No idea. I don’t think that the dose we got will do much of anything. I didn’t feel anything unusual. And it didn’t seem to interfere with your sleep.” He winks at her, and she glares.

At that moment Jack’s phone rings. “It’s Sarah Jane. Hello sweetheart. What’s up?” He pauses, listening, while Rose and the Doctor wait attentively. “All right. Thanks. I’ll get right back to you.” He looks up at the Doctor. “We’ve got an address. Lives alone. Shall we check him out?”

Rose frowns. “What about his wife? He said she made those biscuits.”

Jack looks at her quizzically. “Filed for divorce last year, her address is in Canada. Must’ve been another tall tale.”

The Doctor taps his foot, thinking. “Our enigmatic friend has already gone home for the day. We’ll have to drop in tomorrow. Or, you will.”

Rose looks at him sideways. “Still plan to stay here then?”

“Yes, I think that’s best. Got to keep an eye on Starkey. And Davies, when he gets in. You go with Jack.”

She scowls at him. “I can stay.”

He grins. “I think you’ve had enough sleeping in a chair. Anyway, I’ll need you to bring me another shirt. Won’t do for Davies to think I’ve given his tea any thought at all.”

Unconvinced, Rose finally leaves with Jack, and the Doctor returns to his computer.

 

In the morning, after a brief stop at the lab, Rose, Jack, and Sarah Jane head to Davies’ house. It’s a quiet cottage on the outskirts of town, nearly hidden by an overgrown garden. Leaving the car some distance away, the three manage to approach the house out of view of any neighbor. Rose opens the door with the Doctor’s screwdriver.

The contrast with Starkey’s home is dramatic. Every room is furnished comfortably and densely packed with books, papers, music, and knickknacks. Rose eyes a large collection of jazz CDs while Jack peruses the kitchen and Sarah Jane begins carefully examining the bookshelves.

Sarah Jane is the first to speak. “Looks like Davies was one of Lumic’s. He’s got all his books, even some that weren’t published.”

Rose looks over her shoulder. Alongside the Lumic collection are a number of books and papers on genetic mutation and DNA. There is also a large gap, as if several items had been removed. “Do you suppose he’s taken those with him?”

“I imagine so.” Sarah Jane turns to the large rolltop desk beside her and tries a few drawers. “Locked.”

“Let me try.” Rose takes out the screwdriver and unlocks the desk. Sarah Jane rolls up the top to reveal stacks of papers in Davies’ hand piled high on the surface, and drawers full of notes. Jack joins them as they sort through the contents, using his phone to photograph items of particular interest.

“Wow, I think we hit the jackpot! Chemical-biological analyses, IQ acceleration, nerve regeneration? The man wants to build a better human! I need to meet this guy; he can use me as his ‘after’ picture.”

“Shut up.” Rose grins as she shuffles through a pile of papers. The three settle quietly to their task, oblivious to the passage of time.

 

Seeing Davies settled safely in his lab, the Doctor wanders the halls of the research center. He pauses at Starkey’s door, knocking. “Oi! Starkey! You in?”

The response is incoherent.

“D’you want to talk about it?”

“Go away!”

“Come on out for a chat, there’s a good man.”

There is a sharp thud, as of something heavy hitting the door.

“I’ll just come back later then, shall I?” The Doctor returns to his own lab and accesses the center’s security feed on his computer. With the cameras keeping an eye on his two charges he paces the room, waiting for the phone to ring.

 

Rose’s eyes are beginning to swim, her vision going in and out of focus. She puts down the paper in her hand and stands up to stretch. Sarah Jane and Jack remain deeply engrossed. Suddenly Rose notices an odd tang in the air.

“Do you smell... smoke?”

Sarah Jane looks up in alarm and Jack leaps to his feet, hurrying out of the room toward the front of the house. Seconds later he pounds back in at a run.

“We’re on fire! Out the back!” He pulls Sarah Jane to her feet and the three of them run to the back door.

“Locked!” 

Rose fumbles for the Doctor’s screwdriver, but Jack is quicker. Seizing a kitchen chair, he smashes out the bay window in the breakfast room. Suddenly Rose can feel the heat as smoke begins pouring into the room from behind them. Jack pushes her toward the open window. 

“Let’s go!”

As Rose begins to climb out the window, something whizzes past her ear. Over the increasing crackle of flames, she hears a soft thud nearby, then another. Abruptly Jack pulls her back in.

“They’re shooting at us!” he shouts incredulously, drawing his own weapon. “Be ready, I’ll cover you!” He leans out the window and begins firing into the shrubbery. “Go, now! Go!”

Rose climbs past him, Sarah Jane right behind her. They tear across the lawn and duck behind the garden shed. Rose looks back to see Jack moving toward them, still firing across the yard. Thick smoke and flames rise from the house behind him. Heart pounding, she looks around for another place to hide, and spots an empty garage some distance away.

Jack ducks behind the shed with them. Rose indicates the garage. He nods, moving to the other side of the shed and peering around it. A staccato crackle breaks out over the sound of the roaring fire; he jerks his head back behind the shelter of the shed. “Persistent bastards, I’ll give them that! As soon as I start shooting, you run. Got that?”

Rose nods, taking Sarah Jane by the hand. Sarah Jane struggles to breathe.

“You all right?”

“I’m fine. Let’s get out of here!”

Jack throws himself to the ground and fires, and the two women race for the safety of the garage. Halfway there Sarah Jane slips, falling to the ground with a cry. Rose seizes her by the arms and pulls, half dragging her as she stumbles the remaining distance to the shelter. Jack appears a moment later. “Rose! Is she all right?”

Sarah Jane nods, but flecks of blood appear on her lips. Rose crouches down beside her in a near panic. “Jack, she can’t breathe!”

Jack holsters his gun and scoops Sarah Jane up in his arms. “We’re gonna have to run for it. You ready?”

“Ready.” 

With a last look at the source of danger, Jack darts out from behind the garage, running in a zigzag path toward the little wood at the bottom of the garden. Rose follows, the slap of bullets in the dirt quickening her step. Jack disappears among the trees ahead of her. With a burst of speed she catches up to him, and they race on through the wood, away from the roaring flames and gunfire.

 

The Doctor pounds once again on Starkey’s door. “Are you in there? I just want to talk. I can help you.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m a friend of Mrs. Smith, the widow. You remember, you used to work with her husband. Dr. John Smith? You remember?”

There is a long silence before Starkey answers.

“Something’s gone very wrong.”

“Yes it has. I can help you, Starkey, but you’ve got to talk to me!”

There is another long silence, followed by the scraping sound of something heavy dragging on the floor. Finally the door opens a fraction, one wild and bloodshot eye peering out, looking the Doctor up and down. He waits patiently. Finally the eye vanishes and the door drifts open. The Doctor steps inside and closes it behind him.

“That’s far enough!” The young researcher stands in the shadows across the darkened room, brandishing a hammer.

“It’s all right.” The Doctor uses his most soothing voice. “I’m going to stay right here. Why don’t you tell me what happened.”

Starkey wavers, lowering the hammer but gripping it tightly. “Who are you?”

“I’m called the Doctor. I’m a friend of Sarah Jane Smith. I’m here to help.”

The young man fidgets indecisively. “Something’s gone wrong. My notes, they don’t make any sense to me. It seems I... I made things. Things I would never make. Terrible things.”

“Did you also make some good things?”

“I... I don’t know. My notes... I don’t understand.”

“You may have had some help. Let me help you now. I can be quite clever.”

Starkey appears to focus. “There’s all these samples. Why can’t I remember?”

The Doctor looks grim. “One of your fellows has been experimenting on you, I’m afraid. I think he made you extra clever, but also more than a bit mad. Now it’s wearing off.”

Starkey looks around at the mess of his lab, furniture piled by the door, books and papers scattered about. He runs a hand through his wild hair. “More than a bit mad, all right.”

The Doctor grins. “It’s all past now. Let’s get your samples sorted, shall we?” He reaches for the switch and turns on the light. Starkey blinks, dazed, but begins to clear off the countertop. The Doctor helps him set up the equipment, and the two men set to work.

 

“Jack. Jack, I’m all right. You can put me down now.”

“I like you right where I’ve got you, Mrs. Smith.”

“Really, Jack!”

Beside them, Rose grins. “Where are we going, anyway? We’ve been walking for ages!”

“I used to have a little hideaway out here. Not much traffic, and the landlords don’t look in too often.”

Rose grumbles. “You’re right about the traffic. We haven’t seen a car, or a turnoff, in forever!”

“Relax! Patience is a virtue. We’ll be there soon enough.”

“What do you know about virtue anyway?” She mutters under her breath, but Sarah Jane hears her and laughs out loud. Jack grins broadly.

“Hey now. I’ve stolen more virtue than you’ll ever have. Aaand... here we are!” He veers toward a crumbling shack in a field by the side of the road. It looks like it could fall down at any moment, but Jack takes them through a sturdy door around the back. The tiny space inside is well-made and cozy, furnished with camp chairs and folding cots. Jack puts Sarah Jane down in a chair and opens a cabinet in the back wall. He tosses a blanket at Sarah Jane and passes out cans of chocolate-flavored energy drink.

“This should get us back on our feet. Rose, you give your young man a call, bring him up to speed.”

Rose steps back out into the field and punches in the Doctor’s number.

 

“This is terrible. This is really horrible.” Gordon Starkey sweats profusely as he drops yet another test tube into the incinerator. “People have died. My fault. This is awful.”

“Easy now, Starkey. I know you did some good things here. That’s what you were working on, right? Cures? Well they must be here. If you’ve got the bad guys, you must have the good guys. Stands to reason. We just have to find them.”

Shivering all over, Starkey returns to the counter. “I couldn’t bear it. I couldn’t live with it, I just couldn’t.” He takes down the next sample and begins testing, jumping slightly when the Doctor’s phone rings.

“I won’t be a moment, mate. You just keep looking, you’ll find the good stuff.” He steps out of the room to answer the phone. “Hello! Any luck on your end?”

“Some, maybe.” The Doctor listens with interest to Rose’s description of the data they uncovered at Davies’ house.

“Ha! I was right! Have Jack send me those images.”

“That’s not all.” She tells him of the fire and the gunman, and his face darkens with rage. He wanders down the hall toward Davies’ lab, jaw set, staring intensely at the closed door.

“Well, if you’re through being nearly killed, I’ll just get back to Starkey. He’s improving, but still on pretty thin ice.” 

Suddenly there’s a crash, the sound of glass shattering, and an almost animal howl. “Gotta go!” He races back to Starkey’s lab to find himself locked out.

“Starkey! Starkey, man, let me in!” He fumbles in his pocket for the screwdriver that isn’t there. “Oh hells, I gave it to Rose! Starkey, what are you doing? Let me in!”

“I can’t, Doctor. That’s the one. The one that killed. The weapon I made. It must be destroyed. It must all be destroyed. Get away, save yourself!”

“Starkey!” The Doctor steps back and rushes the door, trying to break it in. It holds firm; he bounces off, clutching his shoulder painfully. “Ow! Starkey! Dammit, man, you can’t do this! You’ve got the cure in there! Let me in!”

“There is no cure! No cure!”

Researchers and techs from neighboring labs begin to gather curiously in the hallway, muttering among themselves. 

“That’s Starkey, raving nutter.” 

“What’s he done now?” 

“Is that smoke?”

The Doctor glances down to see thick grey smoke creeping under the door. Suddenly the alarms go off, and the staff begin to file apprehensively down the hall and out of the building. The Doctor renews his pounding.

“Starkey! Starkey! Open the bloody door!”

There is no answer.

Abruptly strong arms grip him and pull him away, Dr. Davies on one side and Eddie the security guard on the other. The Doctor struggles against them.

“Let me go! We’ve got to get him out!”

“Can’t, Doctor,” Eddie answers, his face blank. “Lockdown. Infectious disease. I’m sorry, sir, he’s gone.”

The Doctor gapes at him. “What d’you mean, gone? Lockdown?”

Davies answers. “It’s a failsafe, Dr. Smith. If an infectious agent is released, the lab is locked down. Starkey must have triggered it himself. He should have gotten out first; apparently he chose not to.” The man shakes his head sadly, pale with shock. “It’s too late now. Everything in that room will be destroyed.”

“Everything?” The Doctor sags, letting the men drag him. “He’s killed her then. It’s done.”

Wordlessly his escorts set him down on the ground outside and drift away into the crowd.

 

Jack’s cell phone beeps, startling them all out of their uneasy silence. He glances down at it with a frown and quickly pockets it again, looking up at Rose and Sarah Jane.

“I’ve got to go. You ladies stay here for now, all right? I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Rose looks up in alarm. “Where are you going?”

“Where I’m needed. You stay here and look after her.”

“Jack, I -”

“Rose, please.” He looks at her pleadingly. She glances at Sarah Jane, sitting quietly in the chair. Her lips have taken on a bluish tinge, and she’s as pale as she’s ever been. Rose turns back to Jack with a scowl.

“All right.”

“Don’t call me, I’ll call you.” With a wink he dashes out the door.

Rose looks down at Sarah Jane. Her eyes are closed, her breathing weak and shallow. Anxious, Rose pulls out her phone. She tries the Doctor’s number again, but gets no answer. She stares uneasily at her ailing friend. Finally, her jaw set, she dials another number. Her voice shakes.

“Mum? Mum, it’s me. I need you.”

 

The crisis over, the researchers begin to return to their laboratories. The receptionist Ben stands in the lobby speaking to the crowd as they pass.

“Don’t be concerned. The alarm was a redundant measure, for supplemental reassurance only. The destruction was contained to the affected lab. You might encounter minor smoke or water damage to your facilities. In that event, please notify me at once, so you can be restored to work as soon as possible. Remember, your research is automatically backed up to network storage, so any losses should be minimal. Don’t be concerned. Your work is safe. Please return to your laboratories. Keep me apprised of any damage you discover.”

The Doctor follows Davies into his lab, closing the door behind him. Davies looks up in alarm.

“D-d-doctor Smith. What c-can I do for you?” He fidgets nervously, dropping and retrieving his pen and scattering a pile of damp papers. The Doctor stares at him darkly.

“I tested your tea.”

Davies shoves his hands in his pockets and retreats, backing into a table and knocking over a coffee cup. “What did you find then? I’ll tell you what. Nothing! You found nothing!”

The Doctor smiles humorlessly. “Very nearly. But not quite. And my friends had a look at your notes, before they were nearly killed.”

“My notes? How d’you mean? Nearly killed?”

“We weren’t happy about being drugged, so I had them take a look around your home. Until someone tried to burn them out, and shot at them as they ran.”

“B-burned? Shot? What are you saying, man?”

The Doctor raises a skeptical eyebrow. “That’s twice someone’s tried to kill Rose. And you have no idea who it could be?”

Davies tries to back into the wall. “None! None, I swear to you! No one was supposed to be killed! What do you want from me?”

“I want your help.”

Davies stares blankly. “W-what?”

The Doctor steps forward menacingly. “This is your one chance. Five people have died. Others have almost died, and one more will die unless you help me.”

Davies raises his hands in supplication. “It was never meant to happen! No one was to die, none of this should have ever happened! I was only trying to help! It worked, it really worked! Starkey’s reaction was unpredictable, absolutely nonsensical! I stopped as soon as I realized! But it was too late! Too late!”

“What did you do, Davies?”

“It was the formula. I developed it with Cybus. It was so very promising! Their minds, how they bloomed! Their bodies, strengthened! But when Lumic went mad, it was all thrown away. I had to try. The opportunity! Every human could be brilliant, strong, immune to disease! Who wouldn’t want that?”

“So you kept testing it.”

He nods vigorously. “Just on myself, first. I wouldn’t have anyone do what I wasn’t willing myself. And it worked, it worked! I had breakthroughs in my research you wouldn’t believe! And not so much as a sniffle in months! But I had to increase the sample size. I had to know it wasn’t my bias. So they couldn’t know, you see? And Starkey’s work was so important. The cure for everything! He was so close, he just needed a little help. You understand!”

The Doctor nods slowly. “I do. I understand completely. I want you to keep testing.”

Davies blinks at him.

“I want you to test it on me.”

Davies stares, open-mouthed. “But... but... Starkey!”

“Precisely. I need to re-create Starkey’s work. And I don’t have time to do it the old-fashioned way. I need to counteract his superbug, and I need to do it in days, hours, not months or years. Now will you help me?”

Davies covers his mouth with trembling hands. “It’s madness. Madness! I couldn’t possibly-”

“Five dead, Davies! Soon to be six!”

Steeling himself, Davies clenches his fists and glares. “And then how many? When you go mad, how many? Starkey was only looking for a cure. He never planned to create those things he made. It was the madness, it took him! The madness killed those women. The madness... er... all those others. I don’t know how, but it killed them too! I can’t, don’t you see?”

There is a knock at the door. Eddie pokes his head in.

“Pardon me, Doctor, Doctor. There’s a Jack Harkness here for you, Dr. Smith.”

The Doctor doesn’t turn, but stands holding Davies’ gaze. “Thank you, Eddie.”

Eddie vanishes and Jack enters the room, closing the door behind him. He stands straight, arms at his sides, looking very much the military man.

“Miles, this is my friend Jack. He is here to prevent your nightmare coming true. He is going to be with me throughout this little experiment, and he will stop me if things start to go wrong. He will even kill me if necessary. Right, Jack?”

Jack blinks, but maintains his soldier’s bearing. “Yes sir!”

Davies slumps. “You really want to go through with this.”

“I do.”

“Very well.” Sighing, Davies turns and unlocks an upper cabinet. He withdraws a case and sets it on the counter. Unlocking the case, he pulls out a stoppered test tube and holds it up. The pale fluid glints in the light.

“This is as much as I’d put in a week of teas. Ordinarily it would take several days to work. I cannot vouch for its effects if taken all at once.”

The Doctor steps forward and takes the test tube from him. “Thank you.” Whirling around, he hurries out the door, Jack on his heels.

Davies lets out a long breath and sinks into a chair.

 

Rose jumps out of her father’s car and collapses in her mother’s arms.

“Oh sweetheart, sweetheart, it’ll be all right! You’ll see!” Jackie strokes her daughter’s hair, rocking her gently, as Pete helps Sarah Jane up the front steps. Rose lets her mother go and takes her friend’s arm. Sarah Jane smiles weakly. 

“Thank you so much, Mr. Tyler, Mrs. Tyler.”

“Oh Sarah Jane, it’s Jackie! Come along, sweetheart. You look about to drop!” Jackie bustles her into the house, chattering all the way.

Rose smiles up at Pete. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Of course, sweetheart. Anything. Your mum will take good care of your friend. What are you going to do now? Will you stay a bit?”

“Dunno. I’ve been calling Jack and the Doctor, but there’s no answer.” 

At that moment her phone rings; she pulls it out, brow furrowing at the unfamiliar number. “Guess I should get back to the lab.”

“Can I give you a ride?”

“Better not.” She kisses his cheek. “Give one to mum for me?” 

She turns and trots away, phone to her ear. Pete watches her go with a sigh.

 

“Hello?”

“This Rose?”

“Yeah, who’s this?”

“Stay away from the research center.”

“What? Is that Eddie? What’s going on?”

“Just... Stay away, Rose. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Eddie? Hello? Hello?”

Pocketing the phone, she begins to run.

 

“Are you insane? What are you doing?”

The Doctor gives Jack a manic grin. “I’m going to save her. You’re going to watch.” He swallows the contents of the test tube with a grimace. Jack glares at him. 

“I’m going to stop you from going crazy. As if I could tell the difference.”

“You’re not going to stop me, Jack. Unless you honestly think I’ve gone so far off the deep end, it’s worth Sarah Jane’s life to prevent me continuing.”

Still glaring, Jack drops into a chair by the door, his arms crossed. “Fine. I’m going to watch you. And you’re going to save her.”

Nodding excitedly, the Doctor turns to the computer, swiftly clicking through the stolen copies of Starkey’s notes. 

“Allons-y!”

 

Daylight is beginning to fade when Rose arrives at the research center and ducks into the greenery overlooking the parking lot. The staff cars are all gone, and men in dark uniforms load boxes into a large truck parked by the entrance. As she catches her breath her phone rings again, and she quickly answers.

“Yeah.”

“Rose, it’s Sarah Jane.”

“You all right?”

“I’m fine. Thank you. Your parents are wonderful. You didn’t tell me that your father was a spy in Lumic’s ranks.”

“Er. Right. Sorry.”

“He has access to information I never imagined existed. We tracked down Lumic’s advisory staff. Some of them are running that research center.”

“Picking up where Lumic left off?”

“More or less. They also have a much larger security payroll than accounted for by security at the lab itself.”

“You think they’re the ones trying to scare us off?”

“They could be. Are you there now?”

“Nearly.”

“Be careful, Rose.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Pocketing her phone, Rose notices a familiar car pulling into the parking lot. Long and black, with tinted windows, it looks very much like the one that nearly ran her down outside Starkey’s flat. It pulls up to the entrance as the truck parked there starts up and rumbles away. Three men jump out: two soldiers and a tall man in a long dark coat. The tall man glances over his shoulder as the car drives off; Rose gasps at the sight of his face.

Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams, the administrator, stepping out of a car that tried to kill her.

Not stopping to think, she hurries after them into the building.

 

The lobby is deserted, the whole place nearly silent. Eddie, behind the front desk, leaps to his feet.

“Rose! You can’t! What are you doing here?”

“What’s going on, Eddie?”

“I can’t tell you that. Won’t you just go, please?”

“Not without answers. People have died.”

Eddie’s face hardens. “Accidents.”

She raises an eyebrow at him. “What do you know about it?”

“Enough.” 

He unholsters his sidearm and points it vaguely in her direction. She looks at him wide-eyed. 

“What are you doing? We have to stop them! Stop the killing.”

“I’m sorry, Rose. I’m sorry about those people. But what they’re doing here, I won’t stop it.” He lifts his gun, aiming more carefully. “I had an IQ of sixty. I won’t go back. You don’t know what it’s like, you’ve always been clever. But I couldn’t bear it. Now you must wait here until they return.”

She stares at him, realization dawning. “Dr. Davies’ drug.”

He nods. “He doesn’t know. But I’ll always be grateful to him.”

“You know what happened to Dr. Starkey.”

“Won’t happen to me. He took too much, got too clever. Got what he deserved. And now, you and your Dr. Smith, you’re ruining everything. You’re the ones have to be stopped.”

“Why, what have we done?”

“Dr. Starkey’s work was destroyed. All because of your Dr. Smith. And now he’s trying to destroy Dr. Davies. But they won’t let it happen. They’ll stop him.”

“Eddie. You can’t.”

The gun wavers. Eddie’s eyes fill with tears.

“I liked you, Rose. You were kind to me. Not like all those doctors, so serious and important. I didn’t want you to get hurt. But you’re here now, and I can’t let you go.”

Rose shrugs. “All right.” 

He blinks at her in surprise as she drops casually into a chair in the lobby. 

“I’ll stay right here.”

With a sigh of relief he lowers his gun. “Right. You stay there.” He returns to his post behind the desk to watch her; she sits back, prepared to wait him out.

 

“Wonder what’s going on out there.” Jack peers out the tiny window in the laboratory door. The earlier bustle of activity has trickled down to nothing. He hasn’t seen a white coat in some time. Two men in dark military-type uniforms hurry down the hall toward the exit. Jack turns to the Doctor, who ignores him, muttering to himself as he has for hours.

“Almost there now... let’s see. What’ll you do, my little trouble-maker?” He adds a few drops of liquid to a petri dish and examines it through a microscope, frowning. “No? too slow? not enough oomph. Well let’s try something else now...” He trails off as Jack stares.

Shaking his head Jack turns back to the window to find his view blocked. A soldier stands with his back to the door, the muzzle of an assault rifle just visible over his shoulder.

“Interesting. I wonder what the hells that’s about?”

The Doctor continues with his work, unperturbed.

 

Rose’s phone rings brightly. She pulls it out with an innocent smile at Eddie. “It’s just me mum.”

He holsters his gun and moves out from behind the desk. “You should really give me that.”

Sighing, she gets to her feet and holds it out to him. Just as he reaches for it she drops it, grabs his shoulders and stabs her knee into his groin. He cries out sharply and falls to the floor, moaning and writhing in agony. She finds a pair of handcuffs on his belt and snaps them onto his wrists.

“Sorry, Eddie. I liked you too. Right up till you put your gun in my face.” She drags him whimpering behind the front desk, then picks up her phone as it rings again. 

“Jack! I’m at the Center. What’s going on?”

“What the hells are you doing here? Where’s Sarah Jane? I thought you -”

“She’s fine, she’s with my parents. She’s found evidence that Lumic’s people are funding the research here. And I think they’ve just been to collect. You in the Doctor’s lab?”

“Yeah.” 

She peers cautiously down the hall. “There’s guards.”

“Yeah I know. Can you tell how many?”

“Looks like just two of them at the moment.”

“Two I can handle.” Jack hangs up. As Rose watches, the door down the hall flies suddenly open. The two soldiers turn toward it, raising their weapons, but are quickly knocked to the ground. Rose rushes to meet Jack as he steps over their prone bodies.

“The Doctor...?”

“Working away.” Jack glances into the lab. “He took a pretty heavy dose of Davies’ drug. I don’t know what it’s doing to him, but I’ve never seen him so single-minded. And that’s saying something!”

Rose follows his gaze. The Doctor works with intense focus, apparently oblivious to all but his task. Jack turns down the hall toward the other labs. 

“Let’s see what else is going on here.”

“You go ahead.” She moves slowly to the Doctor’s side, quietly watching him as he peers through a microscope. He pushes himself away from the table with a deep sigh.

“I can’t save her, Rose. I can’t do it.”

“Don’t be silly. ‘Course you can.”

“I’m missing something. Something obvious. Stupid human head, too full of stupid ape nonsense! I can’t think!” He collapses irritably into a chair, and she sits down beside him.

“I’ve been thinking too, you know. About all the different parallels we’ve been stumbling over.”

He gazes morosely at the floor, unresponsive.

“Doctor, what if it’s important? The parallel, I mean. In this world, she met her husband when she should have met you. She met a normal man named John Smith. What if there’s something to that?”

His eyes seem slowly to focus, staring hard at something invisible and impossibly distant. She can almost hear the wheels turning in his mind. 

“He studied disease, didn’t he? Maybe he - maybe he knew something.”

“Rose, that’s brilliant!” The Doctor leaps over to his computer and starts typing manically. “I’ll check his files, his notes. Everything’s stored on the network here. Yes! Yes, here we are...” He starts reading through files, flipping pages a hundred times faster than any human, muttering to himself as he reads. With a smile Rose wanders back out into the hall to help Jack.

The other labs are all cleaned out; cabinets open and empty, equipment scattered. Notes and computers have all been removed. Starkey’s lab remains firmly locked. Finished with the labs, Jack pulls open a closet door and suddenly freezes. 

“Oh boy.”

Rose hurries toward him. “What is it?”

“It’s a bomb.”

“What? What for?”

A new voice answers, startling them both. “No evidence.”

Rose and Jack spin around to find Mr. Williams standing at the end of the hallway, facing them with a smirk. Rose gapes at him. 

“Why?”

“This is all top secret. No one must ever know what went on here. Scientists experimenting on themselves? Doctors breeding rare disease? The public would be horrified. We’re just waiting for the results of one last little test to be uploaded, and then all of this will suddenly cease to exist.”

“The Doctor,” Rose whispers.

Williams smiles darkly, stepping forward to glance into the Doctor’s lab. “Hard at work, I see.” He moves closer to Rose and Jack. “I do wish, however, you’d left well enough alone.”

“You tried to kill us.”

“Yes. Unfortunately we discovered the limits of Dr. Davies’ magic formula. Incompetence at one end, overenthusiasm at the other. Too much was lost at Davies’ home, and you should never have gotten that far.”

“Why did you kill all those people?”

“People who work with infectious disease should be very careful of their health. Diarrhea of the mouth can be particularly fatal.” He grins harshly. “This is a secret project, after all.”

The Doctor steps into the hallway behind him. “Not so very secret.”

The man whirls around to face him. “Dr. Smith. Did you find what you were looking for?”

The Doctor pulls a test tube from his pocket, waving it in the air briefly. “And then some.”

“Good work.” Williams reaches into his coat and draws a gun, backing away so he can see them all. “Now, if you’ll just step this way...”

“I don’t think so.” The Doctor stands there, hands in his pockets, and suddenly the lights go out. In the dark Rose hears a shout and a grunt. When the light returns, Williams lies on the floor alongside his soldiers as Jack retrieves his weapon.

“Good work, Jack.” With a broad grin, the Doctor tosses a small device in the air. “Remote control for all building systems. Whatever will I think of next?” He fiddles with it a moment, switching lights on and off, locking and unlocking doors.

“All right, Doctor. Shall we go?”

“Indeed. We’ve one more test to run.”

They turn and head toward the exit.

“You...” Williams struggles dizzily to his knees. “You won’t get far. All will be destroyed!” He pulls a device from his pocket, similar to the Doctor’s. The Doctor grabs Rose’s hand.

“That bomb’s on remote control! Run!” 

They race down the hallway as Jack turns and tackles the man, struggling for the controller. 

Bursting into the lobby, Rose pulls the Doctor to a halt. “Wait!” She ducks behind the front desk. The Doctor quickly joins her and together they pull Eddie to his feet and hustle him outside. The three of them tear across the empty parking lot as the building behind them erupts with a deafening roar. Bits of flaming debris rain down on them, intense heat searing their backs.

At the far end of the lot they stop and turn, gasping for breath, watching as the research center is consumed in flames. Still handcuffed, Eddie turns to Rose, awe in his boyish face.

“You saved my life.”

She stares at him, expressionless. “Yeah?”

“Why? After what I did...”

“You don’t just let people die. No matter what.”

He hangs his head. “I’m sorry, Rose.”

“Go home, Eddie.” She turns to stare at the raging blaze, muttering. “Come on, come on!”

The Doctor squeezes her hand. “He’ll be here.”

Tense moments pass. Sirens wail in the distance. Finally a tall figure emerges from the inferno, beating flames out of his clothes. Rose and the Doctor stand hand in hand, beaming, as Jack approaches them with an impish grin on his face. 

“What? Didn’t think a little explosion would slow me down, did you?” He winks at Eddie, who stands gaping in disbelief. Laughing, Rose throws her arms around Jack’s neck. He hugs her back with one arm and drapes the other across the Doctor’s shoulders.

“Did you miss me?”

“You’re all right?” Rose asks.

“Of course I am!” He glances at the Doctor. “I didn’t have time to get the soldiers out.”

The Doctor nods seriously. “Thank you, Jack.”

Jack nods, and breaks into another grin. “You’ve got your cure?”

“I do.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”

Arm in arm, the three friends walk away into the darkness. Eddie stands stunned, watching them vanish as the sirens draw near.

 

Back at the Tyler home, the Doctor treats Sarah Jane with the serum while Rose and Jack relate the final showdown at the lab. Pete and Jackie are out, and Rose is quietly glad she won’t have to tell them she was in any danger. The Doctor finishes the treatment and squeezes Sarah Jane’s shoulder.

“There you are! I’m afraid I can’t offer any guarantees. I didn’t have a sample of the bacteria to confirm my results. But I am quite clever, and I had some help, so your chances are good.” He grins at her playfully.

“Thank you Doctor. Thank you all, so much. I can’t believe all this. What you uncovered...”

“I had brain space for a few side projects, thanks to Dr. Davies. So I broke into network storage while the tests were running, sent everything to you and to Torchwood. All that data should keep a lot of people busy for quite a while.”

“What’s going to happen to Dr. Davies?” Rose asks.

The Doctor shrugs. “He’ll have a disciplinary hearing. He may be banned from experimental research completely. But he likely has other things on his mind. Lumic’s people made rather a mess of his personal life.”

Sarah Jane shakes her head. “All those people, made brilliant and mad by a chemical. I suppose it’s a good thing it wears off quickly.” A look of pain crosses her face. “All those people killed.”

The Doctor looks grim. “Three scientists, killed by their own research. Your friend Dr. Laura Franklin was working with Starkey, and talking about his work with you. I don’t imagine her encounter with his superbug was an accident. Nor yours.”

She looks up at him, tears in her eyes, as he continues.

“Dr. Abe Gardner, working on a drug to defeat heart disease: defeated by his own drug. Dr. Sam Lytwood, working to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria, killed by same. All of them talked about their work, and died.”

“And John?” Her voice shakes with emotion. The Doctor kneels beside her and takes her hand. 

“Sarah Jane, I’m so sorry. It was an accident.”

She glares at him, and turns away in tears.

“He saved you, Sarah Jane.”

“How on earth do you mean?”

“It was his work, his research, that got me on the right path. I’d been using Starkey’s notes, but he’d gone off track; he was making superbugs, not anti-bacterials. Then Rose reminded me. You met him instead of me. You saw something in him. You were always a bright one, Sarah Jane. I thought there must be something to him, if he got your attention like that. Turns out, there was. The man was brilliant.”

She blushes, smiling as tears run down her cheeks.

“So I got into his notes. He had some ideas that I’d have never thought of in nine hundred years. Well I didn’t!” He winks at Rose. “I tried a few of them out, and here we are!”

Still smiling, Sarah Jane buries her face in her hands and sobs. Rose puts a comforting arm around her shoulders. The Doctor whips out a handkerchief, which she accepts gratefully.

After a long moment her tears subside. Sarah Jane wipes her eyes and takes a careful breath. “I’ve been looking for a reason for his death. Someone to blame. But sometimes... things just happen.”

Rose hugs her, and the Doctor squeezes her hand. She glances at each them with a little smile. 

“It’s all right, really. Having no one to blame... it’s a little easier to let go, to not be so angry.” She sighs. “Maybe now I can try to get on with my own life.”

The Doctor beams at her. “You do that, Sarah Jane. You’ve a lot of life to live!”

“I’ll say!” Jack kneels in front of Sarah Jane and takes her free hand. “How are you feeling?”

Cautiously Sarah Jane takes a deep breath, breaking out in a delighted smile.

“Alive!”

**Author's Note:**

> First published 9/15/2011 on whofic.com, and later in paperback as http://www.lulu.com/shop/elisabeth-flaum/another-world/paperback/product-20026896.html
> 
> Sarah Jane Smith and Jack Harkness are AU versions of the original characters. This story is AU Sarah Jane's first appearance, while AU Jack first appears here: http://www.whofic.com/viewstory.php?sid=43157
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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